The present invention relates to arrangements for establishing connection to printed wiring boards and more particularly to low insertion force arrangement employing pivotally mounted connection springs for establishing connection to a printed wiring board.
Devices permitting connection to printed wiring boards are well known in the art. In this regard, zero insertion force, edge board connectors have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,189,200 issued Feb. 19, 1980 to Yeager, et al, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,159,861 issued July 3, 1979 to Anhalt. These connectors include cantilevered contacts biased toward the printed wiring board and positioned out of engagement with the board for insertion purposes. Connectors including cantilevered contacts biased against the printed wiring board and temporarily retracted from contact with the board directly by means of an actuator are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,793,609 issued Feb. 19, 1974 to McIver, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,848,221 issued Nov. 12, 1974 to Lee. Finally, a low insertion force connector including cantilevered contacts biased out of engagement with the printed wiring board and positioned into engagement with the printed wiring board through the use of actuators is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,176,900 issued Dec. 4, 1979 to Heinz, et al.
The art cited is seen to teach various arrangements of cantilevered or resiliently biased contact springs for connecting to or interconnecting printed wiring boards.